Self-closing umbrella frame

ABSTRACT

A self-closing automatic umbrella of the type which can be opened from a closed position to an umbrella erect position by applying pressure to the end of the stick to telescope the umbrella stick, such as pressing the stick against the ground and which can be closed by releasing a suitable release. An independent locking device is provided for locking the stick in a stick extended position so that the umbrella, when closed, can be used as a walking stick and whereby the independent locking device can be released to allow the umbrella stick to be telescoped for opening the umbrella.

[5 SELF-CLOSING UMBRELLA ram [75] Inventor: Klaus Thur, Solingen,Germany [73] Assignee: Telesco Brophey Limited, East Montreal, Quebec,Canada 221 Filed: May 22,1973

21 Appl. No.: 362,758

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [111 Aug. 13, 1974 73,979 10/1960France ..135/24 582,526 9/1958 ltaly ..135 24 Primary Examiner-J. KarlBell Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Mitchell; Alan Swabey; SamuelMeerkreebs [5 7 ABSTRACT A self-closing automatic umbrella of the typewhich can be opened from a closed position to an umbrella erect positionby applying pressure to the end of the stick to telescope the umbrellastick, such as pressing the stick against the ground and which can beclosed by releasing a suitable release. An independent locking device isprovided for locking the stick in a stick extended position so that theumbrella, when closed, can be used as a walking stick and whereby theindependent locking device can be released to allow the umbrella stickto be telescoped for opening the umbrella.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMIBI 31w 3; 828.805

SHEEI E OF 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thepresent invention relates to an umbrella frame and more particularly toan umbrella frame which can be opened and closed automatically inrelation to the telescoping and extending of the telescopic stick.

2. Description of the Prior Art Self-closing umbrellas of this type havebeen proposed as illustrated by US. Pat. No. 3,003,508, issued Oct. 10,1961, to Fritz Bremshey. In this'type of umbrella, the dome ribsandcanopy are open to an umbrella erect position by pressing the tipagainst a fixed object, such as the ground, causing the telescopic stickto shorten and compress the compression spring within the stick to loadthe umbrella stick when it is telescoped. The action of telescoping theumbrella stick forces the dome ribs to open to an umbrella erectposition, since the crown and the runner are fixed to differenttelescopic parts of the stick. When it is required to close theumbrella, a release catch is merely depressed which allows the loadedspring to extend the telescopic parts of the stick, thereby forcing thedome ribs to close.

However, in the self-closing umbrellas of this type, the umbrella stickcould be accidentally telescoped, thereby opening the dome ribs when itis pressed against any fixed object. For instance, if someone is walkingalong a sidewalk and naturally using the umbrella as a walking stick,the telescopic stick sections would telescope partially every time thetip is pressed against the sidewalk. This, of course, is a disadvantagesince it is natural for someone to use an extended umbrella as a walkingstick when the umbrella is not in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An aim of the present invention is to providean improved self-closing umbrella of the type which is opened bytelescoping the umbrella stick, wherein a separate locking device isprovided for retaining the umbrella stick in an elongated extendedlocked position when the umbrella is closed and not being used as suchin order to allow the umbrella to be used as a walking stick and toprevent the dome ribs from opening accidentally as the tip is beingpressed against the ground.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide such an umbrellawherein no additional controls are necessary, but wherein the separatelocking device is controlled remotely by a single actuating control device.

A construction in accordance with the present invention includes anumbrella having an umbrella stick, with at least two telescopic sectionsand compression spring means provided between the sections, a firstlocking means for locking the umbrella stick sections in theirtelescoped loaded position, control means for disengaging the lockingmeans to unlock the stick sections and allow the sections to extend,second locking means adapted to lock the umbrella stick sections whenthe stick sections are in their extended position, and connecting meansbetween said control knob and said second locking means for disengagingsaid locking means to allow the umbrella stick sections to telescopewhen a preselected force is applied to the umbrella stick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described indetail having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an umbrella frame in its umbrella stickextended position whereby the dome ribs are closed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the umbrella stick shownpartly in cross section to illustrate details of the stick;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the stick similar to FIG. 2,but with the detilas in a different op erative position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the umbrella stick as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 and showing the details in a'still further differentoperative position;

FIG. 5 is a radial cross section taken along lines VV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a radial cross section taken along lines Vl-VI of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The umbrella will now bedescribed in more detail with specific reference to FIG. 1. The umbrellais shown having a telescopic umbrella stick 1 made up of stick section 2and stick section 3. Stick section 2 as shown in FIG. 2 includes ahexagonal cross section adapted to slide in the normally cylindricalsection 3 which is provided with a hexagonal portion near the endthereof for sliding engagement with the stick section 2.

Dome ribs 5 are hinged to a crown 4 fixed to the stick section 2.Stretcher members 7 are hinged at 8 to the dome ribs 5 and at theirother ends, the stretcher members 7 are hinged to a sliding runner 6.Struts 10 are hinged to an auxiliary runner I1 fixed to the end of thestick section 3. The struts 10 are, themselves, hinged at 9 to thestretcher members 7. The stick 1 includes a tip 13 which is reinforcedand which is adapted to engage fixed objects, such as the ground 14. Theother end of the stick includes a handle 12 connected to the sticksection 3 by an extension 3'.

A compression spring 15 is provided in the section 2 and is fixed at oneend thereof. The other end of the spring 15 engages a platform 16 on theend of a rod 17.

The rod l7'extends through the stick sections and is fixed within thestick section 3 by means of a lateral anchor pin 18.

A resilient locking pawl 19 is provided within the stick section 3 andis attached to the stick section by means of projections 45 and 44engaging discrete apertures in the stick section 3. The other end of thepawl 19 includes a locking head 41 having a locking nose 27 with asloped edge and an under-edge forming a shoulder which is normally at tothe axis of the stick. The locking head also has a V-shaped cut-outportion 24 having an inner corner 39 and a shoulder 40 at 90 to the axisof the stick. A sloped cam edge is illustrated at 24 in this cut-outportion. Finally, the locking pawl 19 is provided with a push-button 20on a stem 38 extending out of the stick from the pawl portion 28.

A second locking pawl member 21 is provided in the stick section 2 andis anchored to the section 2 by means of projection 33 engaging adiscrete aperture in the stick section. The locking pawl 21 includes alocking head having shoulders 127 and 128. The edges leading to theshoulders 127 and 128 are sloped at 126, for instance, and includeopposed edges at 90 to the axis of the stick 1 defining a cut-outportion in the locking head. Corresponding apertures 29 and 30 in thestick section 3 and 31 and 32 in the stick section 2 are adapted tocoincide when the stick sections are extended, such as shown in FIGS. 2and 3, and the locking shoulders 127 and 128 are adapted to projectthrough the openings to maintain the stick sections in their lockedextended position. The locking pawl 21 is normally held in a lockedposition by means of a double spring 35 which passes through an opening36 in the locking pawl. The double spring 35 is shown in FIG. havinglegs on either side of the locking pawl 21. A floating connecting blademember 22 is provided in the stick and includes an angled portion 23engaging the cut-out portion 24 and at the other end thereof. There isprovided an angled member 25 adapted to engage the sloped surface 26 ofthe locking pawl 21.

In operation, if the umbrella is in a closed position, such as shown inFIG. 1, the locking pawl 21 will be in a locking position, as shown inFIG. 2. If it is required to open the umbrella, the push-button 20 isdepressed, whereby the camming sloped edge 24 in the cut-out portion 24will engage the bent angled member 23 of connecting member 22, forcingit downwardly into a position shown in FIG. 3. When the connectingmember 22 is forced downwardly by means of the cam surface 24, theangled member 25 will ride on the cam sloped surface 26 of the lockingpawl 21, forcing it inwardly into a position shown in FIG. 3, therebydisengaging the shoulders 127 and 128 from the apertures 29 and 30 ofthe umbrella stick section 3. The umbrella is now in a condition fortelescoping the stick and the stick tip 13 can be pressed against afixed object 14. A force P will cause the stick section 2 to telescopewithin the stick section 3 compressing the spring 15, thereby loadingit. An aperture 42 in the stick section 2, near the end 2' thereof, willbe engaged by the locking shoulder 27 of the locking pawl 19, therebyretaining the stick section 2 in its telescoped position as shown inFIG. 4 and keeping the spring in a loaded compressed state.

Of course, as is known, the telescoping of the stick sections 2 and 3will force the dome ribs 5 to pivot to an umbrella erect position.

When it is required to close the umbrella, the control push-button isagain depressed, thereby disengaging the shoulder 27 from the sticksection 2, whereby the spring 15 will allow the umbrella stick sections2 and 3 to extend fully until the apertures 31 and 32 of the sticksection 2 will coincide with the apertures 29 and 30 of the sticksection 3. The spring 35 will cause the locking pawl 21 to moveradially, forcing the shoulders 127 and 128 to engage and lock withinthe apertures 29 and 30, thereby retaining the umbrella stick sections 2and 3 in their extended position.

In this locked position, the umbrella is closed, and the umbrella stickcan be used as a walking stick, without fear of accidental telescopingthe sticks.

I claim:

1. An umbrella frame comprising an umbrella stick, a crown at one end ofthe stick and a handle at the other end, dome ribs hinged to the crown,with at least a first telescopic section at the handle end and a secondtelescopic section at the crown end, at least a runner fixed to thefirst section and support members hinged to the runner and to the domeribs, a compression spring means provided between the sections, a firstlocking means for locking the umbrella stick sections in theirtelescoped loaded position, control means for disengaging the lockingmeans to unlock the stick sections and allow the sections to extendunder the influence of the spring means, second locking means adapted tolock the umbrella stick sections when the stick sections are in theirextended position, and connecting means beween the control means and thesecond locking means to disengage said locking means to allow theumbrella stick sections to telescope when a preselected force is axiallyapplied to the umbrella stick against the urging of the compressionspring.

2. An umbrella frame as defined in claim 1, wherein the first lockingmeans includes a resilient pawl within the first stick section having ashoulder projection adapted to engage a seat in the second stick sectionwhen the umbrella stick sections are telescoped, and said resilient pawlincludes a projection extending outwardly of the stick having apush-button on said projection as said control means for disengaging theresilient locking means from the seat defined in the telescopedsections.

3. An umbrella frame as defined in claim 2, wherein the second lockingmeans includes a spring-urged pawl in the second section having lockingprojections adapted to engage seats in the first and second sectionswhen the umbrella stick is extended for locking the sections in theirextended position.

4. An umbrella frame as defined in claim 3, wherein the connecting meansinclues an elongated floating member and a cam surface associated withthe first locking means for moving the connecting means axially when thecontrol means is depressed and a cam surface provided on the secondlocking means, whereby the connecting means acting on the cam surface ofthe second locking means will force the second locking means inwardly,thereby disengaging the locking projections from the seats in the firstand second sections.

1. An umbrella frame comprising an umbrella stick, a crown at one end ofthe stick and a handle at the other end, dome ribs hinged to the crown,with at least a first telescopic section at the handle end and a secondtelescopic section at the crown end, at least a runner fixed to thefirst section and support members hinged to the runner and to the domeribs, a compression spring means provided between the sections, a firstlocking means for locking the umbrella stick sections in theirtelescoped loaded position, control means for disengaging the lockingmeans to unlock the stick sections and allow the sections to extendunder the influence of the spring means, second locking means adapted tolock the umbrella stick sections when the stick sections are in theirextended position, and connecting means beween the control means and thesecond locking means to disengage said locking means to allow theumbrella stick sections to telescope when a preselected force is axiallyapplied to the umbrella stick against the urging of the compressionspring.
 2. An umbrella frame as defined in claim 1, wherein the firstlocking means includes a resilient pawl within the first stick sectionhaving a sHoulder projection adapted to engage a seat in the secondstick section when the umbrella stick sections are telescoped, and saidresilient pawl includes a projection extending outwardly of the stickhaving a push-button on said projection as said control means fordisengaging the resilient locking means from the seat defined in thetelescoped sections.
 3. An umbrella frame as defined in claim 2, whereinthe second locking means includes a spring-urged pawl in the secondsection having locking projections adapted to engage seats in the firstand second sections when the umbrella stick is extended for locking thesections in their extended position.
 4. An umbrella frame as defined inclaim 3, wherein the connecting means inclues an elongated floatingmember and a cam surface associated with the first locking means formoving the connecting means axially when the control means is depressedand a cam surface provided on the second locking means, whereby theconnecting means acting on the cam surface of the second locking meanswill force the second locking means inwardly, thereby disengaging thelocking projections from the seats in the first and second sections.